Heartbreak Warfare
by peace.love.jonas22
Summary: “Watch my face as I pretend to feel no pain, pain, pain.” I never cry. But she’s pushed me to the point where all I want to do is curl up in a ball and sob.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 (Prologue)**

I never cry. If there's one thing that you should know about me, it's that I never cry. I'm always smiling, and I don't let anything upset me. Or, at least, that's what I used to think. Before I met _her. _

Alex Russo- tall, gorgeous, popular- waltzed into my life, and threw everything around. I thought that I had been living the perfect life- great friends, an amazing crush, a family that cared about me, and money to spend frivolously on shopping sprees at the mall with my best friend, Taylor.

She was new at our school three months ago. I am now in the eleventh grade. The school used to be my territory, but once she arrived, I was thrown from the position, and I was replaced by her.

Alex Russo is pretty. There's no questioning that. But, to me, it's all fake. Her voice, her hair, her body, it's all fake. Maybe it's just me, but I really don't think that Alex Russo is all that she proves to be. Girls fall at her feet, begging to do something for her, and guys stare from afar, admiring her slim figure. It makes me wanna puke.

Just the next day, I noticed that I didn't seem as in-control as I normally did. People weren't crowded around me, instead they were huddled around Alex, listening to her tell some story. I noticed Taylor in the audience. I didn't think much of it at the time, but she would go on to completely ignore me. Two weeks later, I was forgotten, and there wasn't enough Alex to go around. I was pushed to the far corner of the cafeteria, and I watched sadly as my ex-best friends giggled and talked to Alex- who was sitting in my former seat- like they had known her their entire lives.

I barely made contact with anybody after that. Taylor is too busy waiting on Alex's every command, and Nick, Joe, and Kevin have been brainwashed into thinking that Alex was their leader.

I am in love with Nick Jonas. That's the second thing you should know about me. I've never confessed this to him. He doesn't know, and I have full intentions of keeping things that way. He likes Alex. And Alex likes him. I'd be stupid to say anything to him, especially because he never leaves Alex's side.

Alex hates me. I've never spoken but a few words to her, when she had just gotten here. But, for some reason, she despises me with everything in her.

It's not like she's terribly nice to anybody. She expects people to cater to her every demand. It gets me thinking. Was I like that when I was in charge?

I know that it's not like me to make people do things for me. But was I so caught up in the public eye that I let my bitchy side take over me? I don't think it's possible. But then again, I doubt that Alex knows that she's being a pain in the ass. Did people secretly hate me, the way I can tell most girls do with Alex? Or did they think of me as a kind leader, who took their suggestions to mind, the way people pretend to feel about her?

I picture her glaring at me from across the hall, cuddled up to Nick- who is whispering in her ear- in my sleep. I wake up startled, shaking and sweating. I want to curl up under my covers and break down, but I don't. I never cry. But Alex Russo is pushing me to the point where I want to shriek and throw tantrums. But I put up a strong front. I refuse to let her make me cry. I refuse.

**So.. new story!! Please tell me if you like it. I want five reviews before I put up the next chapter, please :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**New chapter! It's pretty long, I'm proud of myself :)**

Sunlight streams in through my window. My eyes are closed. I am sleeping. The bright light penetrates through my eyelids, and I get up, moaning and stretching. Today is Friday, and the thirteenth of November. I walk over to my bathroom, and brush my teeth. It's too late to take a shower, so I just walk into my closet and get dressed, then head downstairs. My mom is asleep on the couch, my dad is at work. I grab a granola bar, then walk out the door.

The sky is gray and cloudy, but sunlight manages to pour through the clouds. The street is alive with speeding cars and kids on bikes. I am thankful for my thin brown sweater, the air outside is cold, and I'm slightly shivering. Cars whizz by, and birds chirp overhead. The scene is way too optimistic for my liking.

I walk to school. On the front steps, Taylor, Nick, Joe, Kevin, and Alex sit. They snicker as I walk past, and I can hear Alex whispering to Taylor, most likely about me. Taylor nods in agreement, then glares at me.

This Taylor is absolutely nothing like the girl who used to be my best friend. The Old Taylor was kind, outgoing, and never had a bad thing to say about anyone. Alex has transformed her into her little bitch. Taylor is now cold, and doesn't care about anyone's feelings but her own.

Ever since she's come to town, I've had no friends. Alex has taken everything from me- my friends, my crush, my LIFE. She's made my life living hell. Everything that I had worked hard for, she's taken away from me. And I've let her.

It's funny how I could transform from being the queen of the school one day, then wake up the next morning, and have no friends. It's funny how I had a bad feeling about Alex from the start, but didn't do anything about it, didn't do anything to keep my reputation up. It's as if I gave my popularity to Alex without putting up a fight.

I'm sitting in my fourth period Language Arts class. The class is completely silent. The only noise comes from pens scratching on paper. The teacher is chewing gum and sitting in front of the computer. Alex is in this class. And, she sits directly behind me. She's smacking her gum, and I can smell the strong flavor- watermelon. She's done with her assignment, so she finds entertainment by kicking the back of my legs, and poking my back with her pencil. I try my best not to snap at her, but it's getting hard. I sit for the next thirteen minutes, putting up with her poking and kicking.

When the bell rings, I send a silent thank-you to God. I scramble out of the classroom, determined to get out before Alex. My next period is free period. Since it's only fifth period, and it's Friday, my teacher's have given us a break on homework. I head to the computer lab. I find an empty computer in a far back corner, away from everybody else, and sit down, logging in. I waited for the computer to boot up, and load my settings. I got online, and checked my e-mail. Most of it was junk. I logged out, and went onto YouTube. I click on a John Mayer song that I like, then go onto Word, and begin to type up an entry for my journal.

_11-13-09_

_My life sucks. It's the truth. Harsh and unfair, but totally true. Alex makes me want to cry. I don't, but when I see her with my ex-best friends, I want to sink down against my locker and begin bawling. But I don't, cause that would be totally embarrassing, And the last thing I need is another reason for her to mock me. I miss them- Taylor especially, Nick, Joe, and Kevin. I really do. They've changed. All of them. But there's Alex to thank for that. But I'm not giving up. They can change back to who they were before Alex came. I know they can. It's not any of their nature to act like this. Three months earlier, if I had been asked if there was one thing that I would have guessed that Taylor would become, it would be what she is now. We would go on shopping sprees from six in the morning to midnight, laughing the entire day. Now, a permanent sneer resides on her face. It haunts me, mocks me into the darkest hours of midnight. I have no one, no friends to call at two in the morning when it seems like my world has fallen apart. No Taylor to swallow whole pints of ice cream with. Nobody to have movie nights in our pajamas with, giggling and loading up on the sugar. Nick, Joe, and Kevin would be the ones who would make me laugh when all I wanted to do was die. They were the reason for my smile. I thought of Kevin and Joe as my older brothers, and we were incredibly close. Nick- I was- and still am- completely in love with him. And there's nothing worse than knowing that he doesn't return the feeling. I see him with her, giggling, and touching, and whispering in her ear, making her laugh. He kisses her hair gently, and she smiles up at him. He buys her flowers, brings her chocolate. She drags him into cheesy romance movies at the theater, and he sits through them- something he never did with me. I can't help but wish that it was me he was kissing, seeing movies with, presenting with flowers. I've lost all of that, thanks to Alex, and I would give anything just to have my old life back._

I stopped typing, and glanced to the clock on the upper right hand side of the computer screen to check the time. I had taken longer than expected. I quickly printed my page and shoved into my personal journal. I clicked out of Word and shut down the computer. After pushing in my chair, I walked to the front of the computer lab and waited for the bell to ring, signaling that it would be time for me to head to lunch.

The bell rung just then, loud and piercing. People scrambled out of the lab, all desperate to get into the lunch line before everyone else. I took my time. Just like any other day, I'd brought my lunch from home, and no specific place to sit in the cafeteria, so I sauntered to my locker, not bothering to rush. I spun the knob to clear it, then entered my combination, and my locker opened easily. I neatly organized my binders on the top section of my purple locker shelf, then took my brown paper bag lunch from under the shelf. I pushed my way through the dense sea of people all heading the same way, and made my way down to the cafeteria.

I don't have anywhere to sit. I have no friends who save me a seat anymore. Most of the cafeteria is full. People sit with their friends, their group of people. Jocks sit with the jocks, cheerleaders with the cheerleaders, the Math Club people with their own. And, of course, sitting at the head of a table meant for ten, Alex sits with Taylor at her side. They are laughing, their heads turned together, curly blonde meeting pin straight dark brown. Nick, Joe, and Kevin are also smiling. The brothers are sitting in a triangle, each one staring at one of the others with amusement in their eyes. Nick is waving his arms wildly, obviously theatrically reenacting something.

Then he sees me. I'm still staring at him, like the idiot that I am. I can't take my eyes away from his chocolate brown ones. It's been so long since I've looked into them. I see something in his eyes, before he turns back to his brother, and kind of shakes his head, as to get a thought out of his head. I see sadness, longing, even pain. I've always been the one who could read him the best. I can tell what he's feeling when he doesn't even know. He knows this too, and it used to annoy the heck out of him.

I am still standing in the middle of the cafeteria, staring at the table where I used to eat lunch. It's been inhabited by my replacement and the wannabes that used to be my best friends. I glance around the large cafeteria quickly, scanning for an empty seat. And, I finally see one, a tiny table that has the Skateboard Club one side, and, you guessed it, Alex and her posse on the other. I'd rather not stand and eat my lunch, so I slowly make my over to the table. I place my lunch down, and sit on the side of the table farthest away from Alex. I fish my iPod Touch out of my pocket, and scroll down the lengthy list of songs in my library. I plug the earbuds in my ears, and the music begins playing, - John Mayer's Slow Dancing in a Burning Room- drowning out the noise in the room. I focus on his calming voice and finish off the rest of my lunch. I take the headphones out of my ears about three seconds before the dismissal bell buzzes. I wrap the cord around the iPod, and stuff it back into the pocket of my jacket. People all around me scatter, rushing to their next class. I take my time, my next class is AP English, not to far from the cafeteria.

Alex gets up to throw her trash away. The trash can is right next to me. I try to avoid her piercing eyes, but she is glaring at me. I divert my eyes, pretending not to see her, and I gather the rest of my lunch to throw away. I stand up to walk away, but the only way that isn't completely blocked by people is by Alex, and I don't want to be late, so I just walk past her. As I do, she hisses, "Better watch it, Cyrus. I know what you're planning to do, and if you even try to take my friends away from me, I can and will make your life hell." _Too late. _I think, and do all I can not to roll my eyes. By the time I think up a clever response, I look up, and she is gone. Back to her friends- my friends.

I have no clue what she's talking about. I didn't even know that I was planning anything to get my friends back until she brought it up. And then I realized that I would have to, for two reasons: 1. I would get my friends, the people who meant everything to me, back. And, 2, it would seriously piss Alex off. I smile to myself as I begin to think if a plan. Alex obviously doesn't know who she's dealing with. I may be sort of a loser now, but if she thinks that she can get away with living the life that I had set up for myself, she's got another thing coming.

I, Miley Cyrus, am going to get my friends and former life back. And, I, Miley Cyrus, am going to beat Alex Russo at her own bitchy game.

**How'd you like it? I'm pretty excited with where this story is going. I also think my writing has improved, what about you? Anyways, can I ask for five more reviews for the next chapter? Thank youuu!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Seventh period is World History. I detest this class, and it's not just because the subject is just boring as hell. If there was any way for a World History class to get any worse, it'd be if Alex, Taylor, and Nick were in the class. Which they are. Nick is two people in front of me, Taylor is directly behind me, and Alex sits on the other end of the class. The only thing that is alright about this class is that the teacher- Ms. Addams- is super nice, and lets us listen to our iPods while we work, and I love her for that. She doesn't do much talking in the class, and we usually have a few minutes at the end of class to goof around and talk. Not that I do, I have nobody to talk to, and I'm usually completely engrossed in my music.

Today, the worksheet on World War II is super easy, and I finish within the first fifteen minutes of the period. My iPod is on full blast- John Mayer's "Heartbreak Warfare" (You can probably tell that I'm obsessed. Which I am.)- and I'm completely zoned out. I am subconsciously tapping my pencil against the table to the rhythm of the song, and I don't notice that everyone is staring at me, and whisper- yelling at me to stop tapping until I open my eyes, and there are twenty other people staring at me. My cheeks blush a bright crimson, and my face erupts into flames. I lay my pencil down quietly and mouth, "Sorry." People roll their eyes and look away. I close my eyelids again and go back to my music. The song has changed again, another John Mayer, this time "Friends, Lovers, or Nothing." His voice soothes me, and I can feel my muscles relax. I forget my surroundings, my problems, which I have quite a few of, all my troubles are out the window.

I turn around to look at something on the back wall, only to see Taylor's icy blue eyes staring at me. She looks away quickly, acting like she was never looking, but I know what I saw. And I know what I saw in her eyes. She feels lost, like something's missing in her life. She's confused. She has no clue what to think. Alex is trying to get her to think one way, but she knows what she feels is true. Alex is fake, a wannabe queen. She misses her old life. She misses me. She hates what she's become, the bitch she's become, the bitch Alex has made her become. And I know that I return the feeling. I miss Taylor, my best friend. I miss being able to spill all of my problems to somebody. I miss Taylor laughing at my jokes, even when they were horrible. I miss us giggling about nothing in particular, and having random people stare at us.

I can hear Taylor heave a heavy sigh behind me, and I automatically whirl around to look at her. She's looking- for once, not glaring- at me, and I can tell that she's making a big decision. She looks directly into my eyes. When she begins to speak, her voice is barely above a whisper.

"I miss you, Miles." She breathes, her eyes wide and bright. She glances over to Alex, making sure no one had seen her talking to me. Suddenly, despite everything I was thinking before, I am angry.

"You don't mean it. You don't mean anything you've ever said." I snap bitterly, turning back around.

Her gentle smile falters, and she looks on the verge of tears.

"I mean it, Miley. Your friendship meant so much more to me than Alex's does. She's a controlling bitch, Miles."

"I don't doubt it. But, how could you do that to me, Tay? Leave me alone while you go and become best friends with the new girl. I trusted you to be my best friend through everything, and you just proved me wrong."

"I'm sorry. I don't blame you for hating me, but consider what I said, Miley."

"You left me with nobody to turn to. All of you did. Was Alex really that special, that you thought it would be okay to turn your backs on me?"

"No, of course not-"

"I get it, Taylor. You were only friends with me because I was 'popular'." I said, adding air quotes around the word 'popular'. "And then, when Alex came to town, and you saw that she was gradually rising to fame, you ditched me, and jumped at the first chance to be her new best friend."

Taylor's eyes turned to slits. "Don't you know me better than that, Miley? Don't you know that I would never do that to anybody, especially not you."

"Then why the hell did you? Why did you leave me?"

Taylor sighs again.

"Just believe me when I say that it was the last thing that I wanted to do, Miley."

And, before I can question her to ask what the heck she is talking about, the bell rings, and the teacher dismisses the class, and Taylor is out of her seat without another word.

I mutter curses under my breath, then gather my belongings and walk out the door, trying to keep a safe distance from Nick, who is a few feet behind me. He's talking to Alex, and I don't think he even knows that I'm right in front of him.

My heart begins to throb. I put my hand to my head and run my fingers through my hair, rushing to my next class. He is still behind me. Too bad Nick and Alex are fast too. And Nick is going the same way I am- to my next class, it's Math. This is the last period in the day, and I'm glad that the day is almost over.

"_You love him, Miley. You always have, you never stopped. It's just getting worse." _I was going crazy. Well, I'd known this, but now I was actually talking to myself. I placed my History binder inside my locker, and walked into my Math class. Nick was already there, sitting in his chair that was three behind me. It's as if God was out to get me, and he put the people who I've been trying to avoid most right next to me in most of my classes. Alex and Taylor are not in this class, and I'm glad that it's not like History, where I have to face all three of them in one period. Nick barely talks to me, and I'm glad. Seeing him is enough to make me go insane, but talking to him, making him laugh, seeing him smile again, would be too much. I love him. Maybe I'm crazy, maybe it's his smile, but I just cannot get over Nick Jonas.

Our math teacher, Ms. Smith, is kinda a bitch. I mean, she can be nice, but then she goes all psycho and freaks out. It'd be safe to say that I'm pretty sure that she's bipolar. I snicker, thinking about it.

"Is there something that you'd like to share with the entire class, Ms. Cyrus?" Ms. Smith snapped. Great, she's in one of her moods.

Crimson flames arise into my pale cheeks, and I'm blushing furiously.

"Uh.. no, Ms. Smith. Sorry."

She glared at me.

"Good. Now would you kindly pay attention to the lesson I am giving instead of wandering off into your own world?"

I nodded meekly. "Yes, Ma'am."

She got on with the lesson for the day, then handed out worksheets. I hadn't been paying much attention to what she was saying, but this is all basically a review, and I know the answers on the sheet. I finish the paper, then get up to turn it in on her desk. As I approach, she glares at me once more, then snatches my paper up, pulling a red pen from behind her ear. Ms. Smith smirks once more at me before I turn on my heel and walk back to my seat.

I lazily rest my feet on the rack under the chair in front of me. I slide slowly down in my seat, closing my eyes partially. _The end of the day, _I think, sighing. It's Friday, tomorrow is the longly awaited weekend. I'm thankful that it's the end of the week, and I don't have to come back here tomorrow, and be reminded that I basically have no life, no friends. I'll be spending the weekend as usual, going to bed at four in the morning, after watching The Notebook, then waking up the next afternoon at two. I'll spend the day alone, chances are, my parents will be shopping or doing something productive with their time without me, rather than sulking at home all day. But, that's the way I prefer to spend my time. All by myself.

When the last bell of the day rings, I hastily throw my stuff together and scramble out of the classroom, eager to get away from Ms. Smith and her '_if looks could kill' _stare. While I cram my stuff into the Abercrombie bag I carry to school, my phone buzzes in my pocket, so I pick it up and glance at the screen. The number is anonymous, so I have no clue who it is, until I read the message.

_Fuck you, bitch. Stay away from my boyfriend. _

I roll my eyes, snapping my phone shut, and sending a glare over to where Alex and Taylor are giggling, staring at the screen of Alex's iPhone. I mutter a curse under my breath, then quickly tap a text message on the keys of my Blackberry back to her.

_I'm the bitch? I didn't go anywhere near your 'boyfriend', slut._

As expected, there was no response to that, and I glance back to Alex. She is staring at me, actually, glaring would be a better choice of word. Once again, I roll my eyes, unable to stop myself. I slam my locker shut, and twist the black knob to clear my combination. Without a glance backwards, I briskly walk through the sea of people, and make my way to outside of the school building.

I ride the bus home every day before and after school. I sit by myself in the very last seat of the bus, the music from my iPod is the only thing to keep me company. The music is drowning all the thoughts inside my head, and that's just the way I like it. Where the only thing I can here is my John Mayer, and even that's turned up so loud that the words are just screams in my head, unintelligible, the only purpose to block any stray thoughts from entering my head. My eyes flutter shut, but I'm not asleep. I'm relaxing, something that is hard to find with me now. The bus bumps around, and I am thrown around within my seat, but I pay no attention. I start to hum along to the music- "New Deep", this time.

_"Numb is the new deep, Done with the old me, and talk is the same cheap it's been." _

I think about what Taylor had said. Is it possible that she actually misses me, she wants to be my friend again? To have Taylor back as my friend would mean so much. I would have half of my former life back. It's completely true that I miss her, miss her with everything in me. But I just can't find the nerve to go up to her and forgive her. Not when she's hanging around Alex twenty-four hours of the day, seven days a week. If Alex saw Taylor talking to me, she'd do all but murder me, and that'd just be for fear of getting her nails dirty. I love Taylor, but I don't love- at all- what she's become. Maybe I was a little mean to her, but I think she deserved it after she left me like that. What bothers me the most is that I doubt that she feels any remorse for what she did to me. She doesn't know how I felt after everything that happened. She doesn't know how many times I've wondered why my life is the way it is. And she doesn't know that she's causing most of the pain that I'm feeling. I need to forgive her, for the sake of my sanity. I need her to be by my side, along with Nick, Joe, and Kevin. I need to know that everything will return to normal, but I also need to realize that that will never happen.

I hop off the bus steps, and start to walk home. Of course, Nick is walking home too, taking into account that he is my next-door neighbor. Yes, it's very awkward walking out to get the mail when he's on his driveway, playing basketball with his brothers. It's awkward the way he stares at me when he sees me, and it's definitely awkward when Alex comes over, and glares at me through my window.

Alex has ruined my life, and she doesn't know what I have planned for her. Commence operation, it's time to retaliate.

**Review?? It would mean the world... Tell me how you guys feel about this story. Anything I could to to improve it? And, yes, Katie, I know your suggestion. I'm getting there.. :P**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own anything here, including the songs or artists I mention or the characters in my story (Miley, Taylor, Nick, Joe, and Kevin). The only thing I own is the plot. That's it. :D**

I don't know what I'm going to do with Alex- yet. I have no idea how I'm going to retaliate. It just sounded cool to say. But, I know one thing. I may not know how- but it will happen. I am determined to get my friends back and tell Alex to fuck off, once and for all. And, when Miley Cyrus has her mind set on something, it will happen. I will make sure I am in queen position once again, and Alex is begging at my feet, telling me to stop making her life hell.

Okay, yeah, I sound like a complete bitch. So, she probably won't be begging at my feet, and I don't think I'm going to make her life that hell-ish. Think being the operative word. I do know that I'm going to get my friends back, and come as close as possible to having my life as my own again. Because when you fuck with me, I fight back.

This is not me, this person I'm becoming. I'm wishing somebody else pain and suffering, and I'm not proud of myself. I'm just confused as hell. Alex has taken my life away from me. My friends were the only things keeping me sane- Nick was like my conscience, always encouraging me to do the right thing while looking criminally hot, and Joe and Kevin were always there to make sure that I didn't do things like, well, like I was doing now. Plotting misery against somebody, no matter how much I despised them. I'm doing something wrong, something Joe and Kevin would have tried their hardest to advise me against. Taylor, however, was completely different from the boys. She would be right there besides me, enthusiastic about kicking Alex's ass. The school used to be my territory, nobody dared to oppose me, even the teacher's knew better. What I said went, and random people were basically falling at me feet. It sounds completely conceited, I'm aware of this, but that was just how I lived. I was used to basking in the glory, having people wait on me. I shouldn't have used people like that, it was wrong of me. I realize now that a queen isn't just a symbol of popularity. A queen is a symbol of power, of loyalty, somebody people can trust with their problems, and expect her to listen and help them. I wasn't like that. I thought the world should fall at my feet, and now, seeing what Alex is doing to our student body, I realize that I was wrong to believe that. I probably looked like a stereotypical popular bitch. It's time to take control.

I realize that the only way to make Alex mad is either by humiliating her in front of the whole school, or becoming friends with Taylor, Nick, and Joe. I choose the latter, it seems easier to pull off. Humiliating Alex is a lot harder than it seems, and, if it's even possible, she'll make my school career even worse. Yeah, don't think so.

So, in World History the next Monday, I hold my cell phone in my lap, away from the eyes of Ms. Addams, and text a quick message to Taylor, who I know has her phone with her.

_I'm sorry I was such a bitch yesterday, tay. :P xoMi_

I can hear her phone vibrate in her pocket behind me, and from the corner of my eye I can see her fish it out of her jeans, keeping her hands below the table. I hear the tapping of the keys on her iPhone, and in a few seconds, my phone is buzzing violently.

_Me 2, miles. i really miss u. xoTay_

_Same. come 2 my house tonite, alright? the notebook and ben&jerrys, like always. :) k? xoMi_

I can just about feel her smile radiating off the back of my neck.

_Always, mileyy. Addams is givin us the eye, gtg. :D lv ya xoTay_

I lean back in my chair, smiling widely. I can see that Alex is glaring at me from across the room, but at the moment, I don't care at all. I've got my best friend back, and that's all that matters. One down, two to go.

When the end of the day comes, I hear Alex and Taylor arguing. I begin to smile.

"What do you mean, you have _other plans, _Taylor?"

"I mean you're not the center of this universe, and I have freedom to hang out with whoever I want to."

"Cancel them, dammit. We're going shopping tonight. Those clothes are starting to make you look fat, _Tay_."

Taylor gasps, and I roll my eyes.

"Those clothes always made you look fat, Alex." She replies with a smug look on her face.

Taylor then walks over to me- I have no idea- and grabs me by the arm, and begins to pull me out of the school, while tossing a glare over her shoulder at Alex.

"God, Tay. I love you. Never thought you had the guts to stand up to her."

"Yeah, can't say that I did, either."

"Thanks, Tay. You know she'll totally give you hell after this, right?"

Taylor laughs musically, throwing her blonde curls back. "Of course. But do you really think that I give a shit?"

"Of course you don't. You're Taylor."

"Yup." She says, popping the 'p'.

"So, you wanna go straight to my house or hit the mall first?"

Taylor rolls her pretty turquoise eyes playfully. "Do you really have to ask, Miley Ray?"

"The mall it is!" I confirm, smiling.

This feels amazing, being with my best friend again after three months of strife. "_Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it-_" My Blackberry starts to buzz in my pocket, indicating that I had a new text message. I giggle when I saw who it was from.

_Let's hit F21, then get pretzellz, K? xoTay_

_Given :) xoMi (ur standin right nxt 2 me, u know that right?) _

I throw my phone into my huge Louis bag, and follow Taylor as she leads me through the massive doors of Forever 21- our favorite store. I glance around the shop, skimming the racks to see if anything catches my eye. Before I could find anything, Taylor squeals besides me, and runs to the the tank tops, pulling a flowy bright purple one with black lace and beaded embroidery from the rack. She thrusts it at my torso.

"Try it on. It's completely you, Miles!" She commands, and I obey- hey, it's cute! I make my way to the dressing rooms, and walk into one, closing the striped curtain behind me. I slip out of my yellow shirt, and pull on the purple tank top. Taylor was right, it looks great on me, especially with my black skinny jeans and silver ballet flats. Deciding that I had to get it, I take it back off and replace it with my original top. I step out of the enclosure, only to find Taylor waiting outside with a black leather jacket, a coral colored top with a banded hem and ruffles, a couple other tops, and a few pairs of jeans.

"You're a genius, Tay."

"Of course I am. Try those on and come help me, okay?"

"Sure." I nod my agreement, then turn back into the dressing room, and hastily try the whole stack on. I decide on the jacket, a pair of jeans, the coral colored top, and a simple black and white striped one, and set out to find Tay, hooking the clothing I didn't want back onto the dressing room rack.

Looking around the whole store, I notice Taylor by a section of colorful sundresses. When she sees me, she waves me over, and I walk to meet her. She pulls a yellow dress from a shelf that was almost bright enough to make me pull the Ray Bans from my purse.

"Like?" She asks, furrowing her brow, and holding it in front of her.

"Hell yeah!" I confirm. "It'd look amazing on you."

She walks to the changing rooms, and I begin to leaf through the dresses again. An orange one catches my attention, along with a black minidress. I go to find Taylor, and when I saw her brown boots peeking out from the bottom of the curtains, I knew I had found her. I pull back the curtain a little, and shove the dresses through. Taylor takes them immediately. After some shuffling around inside the stall, Taylor finally speaks.

"Nice, Miles. I'll get all three of these."

"Cool. I'm starving, Tay. Let's get those pretzels."

She emerges from the stall, changed back into her original gray Hollister t-shirt and dark wash skinny jeans tucked into her boots.

"Given." She mocks me, and we walk over to the check out line. A couple minutes later, we had gotten what we wanted, and were heading over to the food court. Taylor stopps walking abruptly, and I turn to see what happened. She stands, frozen, as Alex glares at her.  
"You blew me off to go shopping with this slut?"

"Don't call her a slut, Alex, when you're the biggest one of all. And I can go shopping with whoever I want."

"We're so done, Taylor. Hang out with _her_ all you want."

"Oh, I'm so sad." Taylor retorts sarcastically. "Oh, wait. I'm over it. Fuck you, Alex. Get the hell out of my life. I'm tired of being your little puppy dog. I'm tired of being treated like you own me."

Alex gasps. "Don't talk to me like that."

A couple of guys walk past then, glancing at us, amused. "Bitch fight." One of them mutters. "This'll be good. Check out that ass, dude." Craning his neck, the taller of the two guys glues his eyes to Taylor's 'ass'. _Idiots_.

"Go to hell." I say, and send them my hardest glare. They take that as a warning to flee.

"Whatever, Taylor. I have better things to do." Alex turns on her four inch stilettos, almost toppling over, and Taylor and I share a snicker.

"Lets forget about the pretzel, okay? We can go back to my house."

She nods, still glaring at nothing. I grab her hand, and lead her out of the mall, and back into my Audi.

We throw our paper bags in the back seat of my car, and climb in, while Taylor rants, fuming.

"God, that _bitch_! She thinks that, like, I belong to her or something. Was I like her, Miley? Was I that big of a bitch?"

I take a breath. "Do you really want me to answer that, Tay?" I ask softly.

"Oh God. I'm sorry."

"You weren't as bitchy as her, you just decided that you would follow whatever she did, and most of the time that involved hurting somebody- either physically or mentally. Most of the time that was me. I never did understand why she hated me so much. She got everything she wanted- things that happened to be mine. My friends, my life, everything. She ruined everything for me."

"She hated you because you're you, Miley. You're beautiful, with a life that anybody would envy. She saw you as a major threat to her popularity. I don't blame her. But you know what sucks? I was right there by her side, watching her give you hell, and not doing anything about it. I was just as horrible as she was."

I press a button on the dash- and a song begins to blast from my speakers. I connect my iPod to the sound system, and give it to Taylor.

"Pick something. But if it's, like, Keith Urban, I'll kill you."

She pouts, and I can tell that's what she was going to choose. "What's wrong with Keith Urban?"

"You like him." I smirk.

She gasps playfully.

"He can't be that horrible. You have him on your iPod."

"Tay, I have everybody on my iPod. I even have a Katy Perry album in there."

She laughs, remembering the time she locked me in my own closet and bought some ridiculous songs on iPod- I mean, Katy Perry and Britney Spears! Really? We've always had our huge disputes about music. She settles for a John Mayer song - In Repair- seeing as how his songs consist of most of my library. Okay, not really, but they're right there at the top of my playlist, and hard to miss. Besides, John Mayer is just about the only artist we can ever agree on. It's impossible not to love his smooth voice and amazing lyrics. Plus, he's kind of crazy-sexy.

We ride without talking from then on, letting the music break the silence.

"Miley?"  
"Hmm?" I concentrate on the road while she talks.

"I'm sorry."

I roll my eyes playfully. "You're forgiven, Taylor. You don't need to apologize."

"I know, but, Miley, I feel so insanely bad about everything we did to you. And, I apologize on behalf of Nick, Joe, and Kev, too."

"Nick." I moan, gripping the steering wheel a little harder.

Taylor smiles. "He's crazy about you too, Miles."

"What? How do you-"

"Puh-leeze. God only knows how you two have no idea what the other feels."

"_Belief is a beautiful armor that makes for the heaviest sword. Like punching underwater, you never can hit who you're trying for-"_

Taylor glances at me before she hits the answer button on her iPhone.

"Who the hell changed my ringtone? I was perfectly content with 'Vanilla Twilight', thank you very much. If there's such a thing as being too obsessed with something, I've got a great example right here." I shrug my shoulders nonchalantly. "Dunno.."

"Yo. It's Tay." She holds the phone to her ear and speaks into it.

"_You are so, so, so D-O-N-E, Taylor Alison. Watch out, bitch."_

**OK, so before any of you yell at me for taking suck a long time to update.... I have a good reason. My computer was being a you-know-what from you-know-where. So... it's a super long chapter- just for you! Review please! Let's say... seven for the next chapter? Even though it's short? I'll have the next few up soon, I PROMISE. **

**Love ya'll. **


	5. Chapter 5

Her eyes go wide with disbelief.

"God, she can really hold a grudge, huh? Bitch." She mutters.

"Huh?" I wonder, looking at her out of the corner of my eye. Her eyes are glaring at nothing.

"Apparently I'm '_so, so, so done_.' Oh, and she pulled out the full name card. _Taylor Alison. _What is she, like, my mom? It's not like I forgot to empty the dishwasher. Come on. Oh, and I should '_watch out_.' God, does she really think she can scare me anymore? I'm so over that. I'm so over her."

"Well, I've think we've already established she's a bitch. That word is really overused in this language, isn't it? Anyways, either she's really, really jealous, or she thinks she's nothing without you. My guess would be the latter. When word gets around that you told her off, she won't be in that position anymore. Maybe I'll end up getting my life back."

"Miley, we need a plan."

"Whaddya think I've been working on since she got here?"

"Right. What've you got?"

I sigh, picking at my Tiffany-box blue painted fingernails. "As of now, exactly nothing. The first part was getting you back. Next is Nick, Joe, and Kevin. Which shouldn't be too hard, right?"

"Um.. about that. Alex has, let's call it 'possessed', Nick. He thinks she's perfect. Joe and Kevin would do anything she says. I don't think they'll be easy. Or, not as easy as me, at least. They've been completely brainwashed. It's sorta sickening." Her face goes slack. "This probably sounds like a bunch of bull, especially coming from me, who was 'brainwashed' until today. Just know that I never wanted that. I never wanted to leave you."

"But Nick did?" My mouth begins to tremble. I will not cry. I never cry. Not even for Nick. "Oh, forget it. He doesn't care about me. He never has, never will. Why would he? He has Alex. Oh so perfect Alex."

Taylor frowns slightly. "No. None of us really wanted to go. She had promised us more popularity and advantages than we had ever had. I guess we were so caught up in her promises, we never noticed when they all came up empty. We were all immature then, obsessed with climbing the social ladder, wanting to get to the top. None of us realized that we weren't happy, and the reason was that we weren't with you. We had something then, before Alex came. We had happiness, there was that strong bond between all of us. We had love, friendship so strong that you could practically see it radiating off of the five of us. There was never that with Alex. Ever."

Her eyes are staring right into mine, her mouth pulled neither into a frown or a smile. She's telling the truth.

"Ugh. Why'd she have to go and ruin everything? God, I miss them."

She nods sympathetically. "I felt the same about you, Miles. I think we all did. We were all just so intimidated by Alex that we couldn't show it."  
"Is that all it is, then? Intimidation? Do you think Nick really likes her, Taylor? And if he does, please just lie to me."

"I think he thinks he likes her. But, Miley, he's utterly crazy about you. We can all see it- I'm sure Alex knows it, too. It's written all over his face. When your name comes up, his eyes go all dreamy and whatnot. When Alex is planning something against you, he's always reluctant- all of them are. They all still care about you."

"Wait- you're not lying because I told you to, right?"

"Nope."

"Then why the hell would it be so hard to convince them to come back?"

"Because, Miley. They're scared. Alex can- and definitely will- give them hell if they leave her. They would go from being popular to nobody, if Alex just mutters the word."

"Huh. I wonder why this all sounds familiar. Oh, wait. Maybe it's because the same freaking thing actually happened to me."

Her ocean colored eyes flicker downwards. "Sorry, Miley."

"I'm over it, Taylor. It's good now. The only thing I'm concerned about is how to get everyone to see Alex for who she is- a controlling little bitch. And it wouldn't hurt if a nice purple shiner screwed up her pretty little face, now would it?"

I almost grimace. I am not proud of myself. This is not the person I am- this is who Alex has forced me to become. Everyone- Joe, Kevin, Nick, Taylor, even myself- has changed under her influence, and not for the better. I've become almost a bitch, though nowhere near Alex. She has made me self conscious and aggressive. I am plotting pain against someone. No matter who the person might be, and what she's done, it's never right.

Sigh. Damn my conscience.

**Ohmygod. I'm soo dissapointed in myself. SO SORRY! It's been so long since I've updated and I owe you guys a chapter, even if it's short. I've been busy, but I will have more time now to write and hopefully I'll be updating much more often. Sorry again. :/**


	6. Chapter 6

**hey:) wanna nominate me for the NJK awards? anyway, enjoyy...**

"This isn't even an option anymore, Miley. She's pushed you too far."

"The thing I want to know is _why_? What in the world made her do this? I never did anything to her, I guess she just felt the need to be in charge."

"Ohmygosh! We could, like, drop her flat iron in a bathtub! The wrath of the frizzy hair!"

I look solemnly at Taylor. "Yeah. That's a good idea. 'Cept for the fact that we'd have to break into her house- Oh, that's pretty much the stupidest plan ever, Tay!"

She pretends to be offended. "Yeah, well, I don't see you coming up with anything better, Miley Ray."

"You know what? There's no need to be mean here."

"Well, then, Miley. You shouldn't have started the meanness. So.. BLAH."

"What are you, like five?"

"So be it. Let's just, like, get on with our gosh darn lives, kay?"

I begin to laugh. "Yeah, sure."

"Anyway. There's nothing Alex hates more than when somebody has what she wants."

"And Alex just wants popularity."

"Correction. And Nick. She wants Nick. She wants everything you had. Have you even seen her car?"

"No. Please tell me-"

"Yup. It's your car."

"Okay, that's just not cool."

"Tell me about it, Miles."

"I'm just confused. Why the heck would she want my life? It's like the second she sees me, she just knows that she's going to take everything from me."

"Okay. I've done some serious thinking about this, and I've come to the conclusion that the only reason she'd try to be popular here is because she had a shitty experience at her old school, and she wanted to prove some people wrong. Think about it. She came here in the middle of the school year, she was always cold towards you. I say that she had some conflicts with a popular girl at her old school."

I smile, taking this all in. "Oh my God. I think I've got a plan."

"Come on. Let that brain do the thinking." Taylor urges.

"You know how the counselor keeps folders with every student's information in it? It's got all her previous school, any family issues, stuff like that. It's exposure gold."

"We just need a way to distract Ms. Brown, which could be easier said than done. The woman can practically read your mind."

"Um. Hey, didn't you say once you were in her office and she freaked out because some kid came in with a bloody nose and a black eye cause they got beaten up? And she freaked out at the sight of the blood?"

"Yeah. Damn funniest thing I've ever seen. She started screaming and wouldn't stop for like five minutes. I think I know where you're going with this. We send some kid in all bloody, and drive her out of the office long enough to get the files."

I smile. "Exactly. You think you could get a certain Jonas boy to do it for us?"

"If by 'a certain Jonas boy' you mean Joe, then yeah. Definitely."

"So we've got ourselves a plan, Tay."

"I mean, unless it turns out that Alex doesn't have anything to hide and she's really a goody-two-shoes with a perfect life."

"Let's not think negatively, now."

It's been three hours. We've gone through four John Mayer albums and she managed to get me to listen to a song by Keith Urban. Sweet Thing. Ugh. I hate country music. It's extremely late by the time we get to sleep, and we've still got to wake up at six for school the next morning.  
I don't understand it, but by the time my alarm goes off at exactly six the next morning, Taylor's already up and dressed. She's in one of the back corners of my room, and she's literally bouncing in circles.

"I'd ask you what the hell has possesed your body, but this is too funny."

She picks up a Starbucks coffee mug and takes a huge swig while she continues to jump around.

"Wakes me up. Gets the blood flowing."

"That is so _strange_."

"When you're falling asleep in first period, don't come crying to me."

"I couldn't. You're not even in my first period."

"Details!"

It's only then that I see what she's dressed in. A red and black plaid button down and black skinny jeans that are tucked into black leather boots. Hold on. Lemme rephrase. _My_ red and black button down and _my_ black skinny jeans that are tucked into _my_ black leather boots.

"Dude, did you steal a bra too?"

"No. You know, I still have some of my own clothes in your closet. God knows how they got there."

"And why, exactly, are you wearing my clothes?"

"Cause they fit. And they're cute."

I sigh. "I never wear those anyway. But I want the boots back." I clarify, but I know that she's going to end up stealing it all anyway.

"Yeah, whatever. Now get your lazy ass into the shower, missy. We've got to get going."

After 20 short minutes, I'm out of the shower. I throw on clean clothes, though I'm not really sure what I've picked out because my mind was too foggy with sleep at the time to actually comprehend exactly what I was doing.

When I walk out, Taylor's sprawled out across my bed, reading this month's Seventeen magazine. Only when I stand in front of the full-length mirror to fix my hair do I realize what I'm wearing. A pair of black shorts sit on my hips. I never in a million years would have chosen them on my own. They're way too short for my liking, but just long enough to meet the school's requirements. I'm also wearing a flowy white tank top with the black John Mayer heartbreak logo in the center.

"Whoa." Taylor says, finally looking at me. "Damn, who knew you had legs?"

"Ugh. I'm changing."

"No. You look amazing. And you're covering enough skin for it not to be a violation of the god forsaken dress code."

"Wasn't there a rule against tank tops somewhere?"

"Only if the straps are less than two inches." The straps on my top are more like three and a half.

"Whatever. Though this is completely ridiculous."

"Why? You look hot."

"Sure I do."

"Let's just leave. I wanted to get to school early today. Maybe we can talk to Joe before Alex gets there. He's always on the steps way before the first bell rings."

"Yeah, sure." I throw my binder into my blue and white striped Hollister bookbag.

She slings her own bag over her shoulder and we walk out of my house, but not before I grab a strawberry granola bar and stick it in my mouth.

I'm the one driving because I would never trust Taylor to drive my car. She gets too focused on things like the music playing or the squirrel that she saw. Half the time I'm yelling at her to keep her eyes on the road and she's yelling back at me not to yell at her while the car swerves all over the free world.

She looks around the dash and under the seats to find a CD that she likes. She digs up Where The Light Is and pushes it in.

"That's been in my car all this time? Man, I've gone crazy looking for that thing!"

"Which is why you should learn to take better care of your possesions. Especially when they mean so much to you."

I make a sharp turn into the school's parking lot, and park in one of the open spots right near the entrance of the school. Just as Taylor promised, I see Joe and Kevin sitting on the highest step of the entrance to our school. Both of them look extremely bored, and Joe's running a hand through his hair. I can't help but realize that Nick's the only one who's missing.

"Where's Nick?" I whisper to Taylor.

"I have no idea. He's usually here."

She boldly walks up the steps and sits down next to Joe, while I stumble over my steps and stand in front of them. I stare down at my shoes and my face blushes a deep crimson. I never thought it would feel so strange to stand in front of people who used to be my best friends. The silence is way too awkward for my liking, and I fiddle with my thumbs in an attempt to amuse myself and relieve some of the tension. It doens't work and I feel like such an outcast.

Finally, I look up. "What happened, guys?"

Joe sighs. "This feels so.. wrong. I don't know why this is so awkward. Didn't we tell each other everything?"

"Before everything changed."

"Why _did_ everything change?"

"Because we were selfish teenagers and just wanted popularity. We just wanted to have to power of authority, and didn't realize how much it would affect us all until after everything was said and done. We're miserable. The only thing Alex knows how do is tell people what to do. I'm tired of her crap."

Before I know it, I'm wrapped in a secure hug, surrounded by Taylor, Joe, and Kevin. Subconsciously, I'm thinking that this would be so much better if Nick was here, too.

**Computers are selfish demonic devices. That's all I have to say. Review please?**


	7. Chapter 7

"What the hell?" I look up and see Nick standing on the top step, looking down condescendingly at the four of us who are still locked in a hug. "I leave for like five minutes to go to the bathroom and then come back to find you here hugging _her_?"  
The way he says the word 'her' really puts me off. We all break apart, and I look away, pretending to be interested in an oak tree. Joe's fiddling with his thumbs and Kevin is moving a leaf around with his foot. Taylor's the only one looking up into Nick's face, and she's looking pretty pissed off.  
"What the hell right back to you, Nick! What's your problem?"  
"My problem is her." He nods towards me. Is it just me or did I just hear a huge crack coming from my heart? "Why is she here? What would Alex think-"  
"I don't give a flying shit about what Alex thinks!"

"Listen, this was a mistake. I shouldn't have come. Just forget about what I said, okay?" I say quickly, and then run into the school before I start crying. I lean against a wall of lockers and try to steady my breathing. Taylor comes in a few seconds later.  
"I'm so sorry, Miles. I have no idea why he was being such a.. well, asshole. He's usually not like that, I swear."

"Yeah, whatever. It's fine, I guess."  
"No. It's not. He had no right to be so bitchy to you. I have no idea what was up with him."  
"We haven't spoken in months. He has a right to be a little hostile."  
"That was more than a little hostile, and you know it."  
"It doesn't bother me, Tay."  
She shakes her head, and helps me up off the ground.

"Come on, Miles. We have to get going. First bell rings in..." She glances at the bright green watch on her wrist. "Seven minutes."

We head down to the Commons, the area in outside of our school where we eat lunch. It's a nice grassy place, with wooden benches and stone tables. The whole thing is covered in shade from the trees, and I love coming here to just relax. There aren't too many people there now, but after we sit down, it gets more crowded. The first bell rings and Taylor and I walk inside and go to our lockers.

What had I been thinking, going to talk to Joe and Kevin? I knew that it wouldn't turn out right, but I went along with it anyway. Nick did have a right to be a little harsh, but some of the things he threw at me really hurt. I'm honestly confused about what I could have done that made him this mad. Nick was always the sweet one. I don't know what Alex has done to him or made him become, but I'm not happy with it.  
I go through the school day, and it's the same as always, except for the fact that both Nick and Alex are glaring at me a bit more. I don't pay much attention and just mind my own business like any other day. I'm assuming that he told her about this morning with Joe and Kevin, and she's mad that I've been associating any more of her followers. What a bitch. I hate this. I can't talk to Joe, Kevin, or Nick, and they used to be my best friends. What has she done to make them like this, so desperate for the spotlight?  
When I get home, the kitchen light's on, even though there are no cars in the driveway. The lack of cars tells me that my family's not home yet, but they never are when I get home from school. My mom would never leave the door unlocked when she leaves for work, and my dad's the first one out of the house every day. I think that my mom must have just had a lot on her mind, and I hope to God that nothing's gone. I walk in hesitantly, in the case that there might be someone like a mass murderer inside. I see that everything's as normal as it was when I left this morning, so I let my mind stop worrying. I'm walking upstairs to my room when I hear voices that don't sound anything like my parent's coming from really scares the shit out of me, and I try not to make any noise as I creep down the hall and look out over the landing upstairs. I let out a huge breath of relief when I realize that the people in my house are Joe, Kevin, and Taylor.  
"What the fuck is wrong with you guys? You almost gave me a heart attack!"  
"What?" Joe asks innocently.  
"Could you not have waited for me to get home, asshole?"  
"Jeez. No need to get angry. We wanted to talk to you, but we got here before you were home. But then Kevin remembered that you guys keep a spare key in that little crack by the front door. So, we let ourselves in, thinking that you wouldn't mind."  
"Call next time, would you? Or wait five minutes."  
He holds his pointer and middle fingers to his forehead and then brings them down in a playful mock salute. "Ma'am, yes, ma'am."  
"Let me put all this up, okay? Then I'll come down and we can 'talk'" I add air quotes around the last word.  
The three of them nod, and I go into my room and throw my bookbag onto the floor by my bed. I walk back down the stairs and into my living room, where Joe and Kev are sitting on the couch.  
"Where's Tay?"  
Kevin jerks his head toward the kitchen. "Where do you think? In there." I crane my head and I can see Taylor standing in front of the open fridge, a confused expression on her face.  
"Miley, where are the pickles?"  
I wrinkle my nose in disgust. She has a carton of ice cream in her left hand and I can only imagine what she's planning on doing with those pickles. "Uh.. on the right side door. I think they're on the top."  
Taylor nods and her eyes light up when she finds them.  
"Tay?"  
"Yeah, Miles?"  
"Just wondering, here, but just what, exactly, how do you plan to eat those pickles?"  
She looks down and I notice a slightly guilty expression on her face.  
"I thought you grew out of the pickles on ice cream phase in sixth grade!"  
She looks down.  
"Ugh. Just don't make me look at that." I tell her, and walk back into the living room.  
"She's eating pickles with her ice cream again?" Joe asks, shaking his head in disapproval.  
"Yup. That's one crazy chick."  
We hear Taylor try to protest from in the kitchen, but her mouth's full, so it comes out as "Mmm hmm hmmmhh mmm!"  
I ignore her, and turn to the two brothers. "What's up?"  
"First, we're really sorry about how much of a dick Nick was this morning. That was completely uncalled for and rude." Kevin says, an apologetic smile on his face.  
I shrug nonchalantly. "Whatever. I don't really care about that." It's a half lie. Some of the things he said hurt, not that I'm going to admit it now.  
"Second, we're really sorry about how _we_ were such dicks these past few months. We should never have ignored you like that, and we never should have believed Alex in the first place."

"Wait- believe her about what?" I wrinkle my forehead in confusion.

"When we met her for the first time, she said that if we didn't help her become popular, she'd tell the school something embarrassing about us. I have no clue where she got any information before she even met any of us, and it's a little creepy to think about what she did to get any of that. But she'd never do something like give the whole school a reason to talk about something other than her. If she told everybody something embarrassing about us, it would probably be talked about more than what outfit she's wearing that day. The really stupid thing is that we actually listened to her. Another reason that she'd never do that, she's too damn stupid. She wouldn't even know where to start."

I laugh a little bit, though it is a bit subconscious. I'm trying to focus on what Kevin's saying.

"And then she basically forced Nick to be her boyfriend. I think that she thought that dating one of the most liked guys in the school would make her come off as likeable also, but it was all just a fail. She made us do all kinds of stupid things for her. We were spreading rumors about people, being cold and heartless."

There had been a rumor going around the school a couple months back that I was pregnant. Someone had taken a picture of me and Photoshopped it to where my stomach was bulging out a little. It was posted all over the school. Though the whole thing was absolutely ridiculous, and even though I had a hunch as to who started it, I never actually talked to any of them.

Kevin continues speaking. "We did things that really hurt some people's feelings, but we continued doing the same things afterward, like it didn't make any difference if people resented us or not. But it did. We cared and though none of us actually voiced our opinion, I knew we were all dying to just walk up to her and say, 'You know what, Alex? You're a sanctimonious bitch, and we'd like nothing more than to just leave and go back to our old lives'."

I smile. "Yeah, that would have been pretty kickass, Kev."  
"But we didn't," Joe says. "We didn't stand up to her, because we were afraid of what she would be capable of. It probably isn't much, but none of us wanted to actually find out for ourselves. We just went along with whatever she told us to do. We didn't ask questions, didn't complain. We just did what she said. It's pathetic, really, and I find myself just wishing that I could go back in time just to tell her how I really felt. We all see that she was wrong now, but I'm concerned about Nick. I don't know if he actually sees something in her, or whether he's just in this 'relationship' because Alex is holding something huge over his head, something that he couldn't afford to have it get out."  
"It makes sense. I mean, you said it yourself, Kev. She's a sanctimonious bitch. This is something she would do, threaten Nick with a secret so he would stay with her. Though I don't imagine that any secret could be bad enough to make him stick with Alex."  
Joe and Kevin share a glance. "Well, there's one thing that he would never, ever want anybody to figure out. I think we all know what it is."  
Taylor, who's just come back from the kitchen, nods her head. "Oh.. Are you guys talking about what I think you're talking about?"  
"You know, I hate when people say that. How the hell is one supposed to know what's going on in your mind?" Joe ponders, getting completely side-tracked.  
I wrinkle my nose. "Hello? Guys? Am I the only one who doesn't have a clue what you're talking about?"  
Taylor nods. "Basically. It's obvious, Miley. You're probably just looking too hard."  
"Why is it such a big secret if you all know it?"  
"I think you're the one he really wants to keep it from, Miley."  
"Wait- what?"  
"Miley. Can't you see it? Nick's in love with you."

**Hey:) so i've got this new plan. write one chapter of one story, update it, write a chapter for the other story, update it, and so on. they should come out faster now, and i'm trying my hardest to make them longer. sometimes, though, it works better when they're shorter and are left on a cliffie... review pleasee? hope you liked it!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Before I start the chapter, I owe each and EVERY one of you the biggest apology in the whole wide world. I am extremely pissed off at myself for taking SO LONG to work on this chapter. Would it be okay if my excuse was that I had A HUGE test to study for? I'll be taking in Saturday, and then I'll have craploads of free time to write for you all. Please forgive me you lovely readers...? Here you go. Enjoy, because this is what I've slowly been working on for the past few months. I apologize in advance for it's shortness.**

"Right, he's in love with me. That's why he's dating me. Oh, no, wait. It's that other chick... what's her name.. Alice? Angie? Oh yeah, Alex. Even I know that's bullshit, guys."

"Before this whole Alex thing started and fucked up our lives, there was something there, between you two. It's hard to explain, but there was a certain chemistry there. Impossible to ignore, but apparently it went right by the two of you."

"Listen guys. As much as I really want to believe that that's the only reason he's with her, it can't be right. Let's face it; I was never subtle about my feelings for him. If he liked me, I'm sure that he wouldn't keep it a secret. At least he wouldn't go that far to keep it a secret."

Tay grimaces. "She's right. Damn."

Joe's eyes widen, and before he even opens his mouth, I know what he's going to say because I'm thinking the exact same thing.

"You don't think she knows about..?"

"She can't." I say, though I'm only trying to reassure myself.

"But she's also Alex. She has a way of finding out everything."

"The four of us and obviously Nick are the only people who know. None of us would have told."

"Think about it. What else could it possibly be? Nick's got the best track record you could possibly find."

"So you're saying that somebody else knows, and they told Alex?"

"Has to be, Kev."

Joe rests his head in his hands. "This is heavy."

"Joe. You're not Marty McFly and this isn't 1985. Please don't ever use that phrase again." Taylor chastises.

Kevin stands up. "Look. Forget the lame-ass Back to the Future reference. We've got to find out who knows, and if Alex told anybody if she does actually know. Because if one person knows, God knows how many other people found out."

"He's right. If this ever got out, Nick wouldn't be the same. He's already scarred permanently, but if people keep reminding him of it, he'll go into depression."

"I don't know why Nick thinks that this is his fault. Ever since he came back to consciousness that night, he's been blaming himself. That really changed him."

_"He's awake," the nurse says gently to the four of us, while offering a sympathetic smile. Nick's mother stands up, and looks over to Joe, Kevin, and I. "You three go in. See if he needs anything." _

_"Are you sure? He's your son, you should be the first to see him."_

_The elderly lady smiles warmly, and shakes her head, refusing my offer. "No, honey. You go ahead. He needs to see his friends more than his mother. I'll be here when you all are done."_

_We nod, and cautiously file into the hospital room in which Nick was resting. The sight of him startles me, makes me gasp in surprise. His pale skin was covered in purple and black bruises, and there's a cold- looking IV needle stuck in the crook of his arm. Various fluids are being pumped into his body from a few plastic bags by his bedside. His right leg is elevated and covered in bloody bandages. Despite his broken and worn appearance, his eyes are shiny, wide, and filled with panic._

_"Where is he?" Nick demands suddenly._

_We all look at each other, understanding full well who he's talking about. None of us know how to tell him, so we ignore the question. When neither of us says anything, Nick gets angry._

_"Where the hell is he?" This time his tone of voice is sharper, louder, and more threatening. I'm sure that he's already got a clue about what happened, because nobody's willing to tell him what's going on. _

_Kevin, being Nick's oldest brother, sits down on the foot of his bed. Anyone would be able to tell that he'd been crying. Hell, all of us were wrecks. I'd been bawling for 24 hours straight. _

_"Ryan lost too much blood, Nick." Kevin says gently, not daring to make full eye contact with his brother. "He died last night."_

_Nick doesn't say anything, but his eyes well up with tears and his fist clenches the plain white bed sheets._

_"Listen, Nick-" Joe starts to say._

_"I killed him." Nick's staring blankly at the wall across from his bed. "I killed my own brother."_

_I go over to him and take his hand in my own. "You did not kill Ryan, Nick. It wasn't your fault at all."_

_He snatches his arms away and looks at me with cold eyes. "I was driving, Miley! I was driving the car, and now he's dead. There's nobody to blame but me."_

_"The only person to blame is the bastard who decided to get himself drunk as shit then drive home. It wasn't in your hands, Nick. There's nothing you could have done to prevent this from happening." _

_He doesn't respond, just continues to stare at the same wall. Kevin slowly gets up from the bed, and Joe and I follow him as he starts to exit the room. We all figured that Nick would feel better after he rested, that the pain will go away after a while. We never predicted that the feeling would get worse as time went on. _

"It took enough to get him past the grief. It'd just be the same depression all over again." Joe says.

"Guys, the only way to figure out how much Alex knows is to talk to her ourselves. Since she hates Tay and I, it's up to you two to get it out of her."

Kev nods. "We'll talk to her tomorrow."

Taylor's eyes light up. "Dude. You think we could have like walkie-talkies? And code names? Oh my gosh, this is gonna be so cool!"

The three of us look at her. "No." The reply is simultaneous.

She pouts. "Joe? Come on, I know that at least you want to."

I roll my eyes. "Yes, Taylor, because the best way to stay inconspicuous is to have spy gear hooked up to us. And I'm sure she'd love to talk into a microphone for us to her loud and clear."

Taylor glances down and looks defensive. "I just thought it'd be cool, jeez."

I slam my palm against my locker- whether it's out of frustration that the lock won't click open, or out of frustration that nothing in life is going my way, I have no clue.

After I manage to open the locker after a billion tries, I get the books and binders that I need out of it. When I shut the bright blue door, I look to my right and see Kevin and Joe standing there, arms crossed over their chests and darkly tinted cop glasses resting on their noses. I giggle at how ridiculous they look, then look expectantly at the two of them.

"So...?" I pry.

They exchange a glance.

"Well.." Joe stalls with an annoying little smirk on his face.

"Just please tell me that you talked to the she-bitch and found out what she knows."

"Oh, we did. And she knows everything, Miles. Things that you wouldn't expect in a hundred years. She's dangerous. Nick's not the only person who should be kissing her ass."

"Now how do we keep her from telling the school our secrets?"

"Well," Kevin drawls out. "Unless you've got a psychologist, fighter jets, an attack rifle, and an ant farm lying around someplace, thinking of a plan's gonna be pretty damn hard."

I roll my eyes. "Thanks for all of the optimism, Kev. I appreciate your enthusiasm. But, in all honesty, something needs to be done about her."

"Obviously we can't gag and kidnap her, then use something even worse against her than she could use against us to get her to keep her mouth shut." Joe says, shaking his head.

My eyes light up, and I'm sure that they look like a little kid's would on Christmas morning. "Joseph, you are a genius and I am officially in love with you."

"Whoa. I don't like you like that, Miles. Calm yourself."

I laugh good-naturedly and give him a slap across the back of his head. "Dumbass," I mutter. "If you don't wanna hear my pretty damn incredible plan, I suggest that you be quiet."

"Look. Miley, I wasn't kidding when I said that this would be virtually impossible."

"Yeah, face it. I don't like saying this at all, but the girl's got a pretty fucking perfect track record. Nothing we could say would be useful to blackmail her."

I smirk. "Listen, and listen well, Jonases. It's perfectly clear that I'm the most stubborn person in the world, right? I won't stop until I find a way to bring Alex off of her throne for good. You can bet on it, kids."

**I have a question. Should I update chapters as soon as I have them done, or wait until I have two in a row to update? I'm not sure which would be faster. Let me know in a review please. Did you like this chapter? Please tell me because reviews seriously inspire me, no joke. I'm not going to promise you a new chapter extremely soon, because you know how well that went last time. I do, however, promise to have it up as soon as I possibly can. I love all of you, and thanks for being SO PATIENT with me while I've been a butt. **


	9. Chapter 9

**I. Am. So. Sorry. Last time I updated this was LAST YEAR. I could give you all this crap and excuses, but I've just been LAZY. It's pretty short, I know, but bare with me. I plan on updating a LOT faster. I say that every time, I know. BUT I MEAN IT THIS TIME, I swear.**

I felt like a ninja.

Well, technically, creepy stalker would be a more accurate term. What the hell had I gotten myself into? This was wrong, completely wrong, but I couldn't bring myself to stop and run away. I could get into huge trouble for this- but the adrenaline pulsating through me kept me alert and searching. I had to find something, anything. The completely moronic thing was- I had no clue what I was looking for.

Then I found it. Rather, my shin found it, and as I struggled to hold a scream in, my eyes fell on a tall, dull silver filing cabinet, with a white label on the side that read STUDENT INFORMATION. Bingo.

Each drawer on the cabinet was labeled by grade; there were four in total, stacked on top of each other. I gently slid open the Senior drawer, and my fingers flipped quickly through the names on the tops of the files. And then I saw exactly what I was looking for. The name _Russo, Alex was scrawled in black pen on the tab of a manila folder._

_"Yes, Rose, the new regulations regarding the school cafeteria will come into action beginning next week."_

Shit. Oh shit. I heard the voice of none other than the counselor, clearly talking to somebody else named Rose, apparently. The voice seemed far away, though, so I chucked my black backpack out the window, and launched myself out after it. I landed in a thorny rose bush, swore loudly to myself as I was pricked over and over by those damn thorns, and quickly got up then ran away.

_emergency meeting, bitches. my house asap._

_xoMi_

I shot the text to my three alliances, and hopped on my bike. I peddled like the freaking wind the whole three blocks home.

When I reached my house, I let my bike fall to the ground, and ran up into the house and up to my room. Taylor, Joe, and Kevin were already there, sprawled out on my pink and orange bed covers. Nobody else was home, so I guess that meant that they had somehow managed to steal a key.

"God, Miles. I was taking a shower. And you interrupted. Nobody gets in the way of Joe's shower time."

I throw him a look of incredulity, and turn to the all of them, a grin replacing the sarcastic smirk.

"I'm pretty damn pleased with myself at the moment. I think you will be too." I say, as I throw the folder down on my bed.

They just stare at it, and then look up at me confusedly. I'm looking at them expectantly.

"God, idiots, open the freaking thing." I demand.

"Well, what is it?"

"My plan." I say smugly.

Kevin's the first to take action. He takes the folder and opens it cautiously, as if it were a bomb waiting to explode. The three of them scoot towards him and read the information over his shoulder. As they do, each of their eyes widen and smiles appear on their faces.

"You do know what this means, right?" Asks Joe.

I nod. "Yup. We can finally overthrow our dictator."

"Miley, you are my favorite person in the world."

"I am pretty badass, aren't I?"

"Look," Joe says. "We've got the information. Now the decision is how we're planning on using it."

"Well, we can start by cornering her with the information. Then, we'll see if she backs off. If she doesn't we expose her."

"You sound like a reality TV show host."

"I've always wanted to be on 16 and Pregnant." Chimes in Taylor.

"That was totally irrelevant. Plus, you're already eighteen and not a slut. You're opportunity's gone."

"I know, but it's nice to dream, right?"

"I swear to God, Taylor. Your blonde genes must really be getting to you."

"Anyway," Joe intercedes. "We need to come up with a solid plan."

"Joe, I think you're closest with her. You could get her to talk to you privately. Make it about like a homework assignment or something innocent like that. Once you've got her alone, we'll come out of a closet or something and shove the folder in her face. We'll see what she does from there."

"What if she doesn't care? Then we'll lose our only source of blackmail and she'll make our lives even more hellish."

"Did you not read what was in that? She has to care. If she doesn't, there's something wrong with her. Information that big will ruin her life. We have to be prepared for her to pass it off as nothing, though. She'll probably tell us that it's no big deal, but there's no way that she wouldn't care if this gets out."

"And what happens if she retaliates with some shit about all of us?"

"Then we don't care. We ignore it because she's just a jealous bitch who has nothing better to do in her free time except mess with people's heads and screw up their lives. We can't let her get to us." I say vehemently. "We just can't. She's started too much shit in our lives. We're about to get back and give her what she deserves."

All three of them nod, looking at me with determination evident in their expressions.

"Plan commences at two forty-five P.M. tomorrow in Ms. Shockley's room. No later, no sooner. Don't all of you have eighth period off? Meet in the little side closet of the room right after seventh period, okay. I'll like nod my head at you or something when I'm about to start the act." Joe rattles off like a drill sergeant.

"Aye, aye, Captain." I mock salute him.

"Miley, we trust you. If this plan gets fucked up, it's all your fault." Joe says jokingly.

"Let's just hope it doesn't."

* * *

Joe looks over at me, pretending to scan the room, and nods. I wink back through the small window inconspicuously. It was just after last period, and Taylor, Kevin, and I are hiding in the cramped closet of Joe and Alex's Chemistry classroom. We're all smushed together, and I can't say that it's the most comfortable position I'd ever been in. Joe and Alex are the only two people left in the classroom; everyone else had already packed up their stuff and left. Alex was still getting her books organized in her bookbag and fixing her hair and makeup in a little compact mirror. Joe was still sticking around also, looking casually around the room, probably pretending to look for something.

"Alex," Joe calls. "Can you help me with something?"

She'd just been starting to leave, but Joe's voice called her back.  
"Sure, Joey." I can see him wince at the nickname, but the bitch doesn't notice.

"Uh, I was confused with the homework. We were supposed to take power notes on the third chapter of the textbook, right?"

"No, I think it was the fifth. But I can check." She sets down her bag and pulls out what is obviously her Chem binder. She spends a couple minutes leafing through it, then looks back up at Joe.

"Yeah, it was the fifth chapter. She said ten pages of notes." Her nose wrinkles. "Like, how do they expect us to do that? Some of us actually have lives. She might go home to her fourteen cats, but we have prior engagements and can't afford to be wasting time on note-taking." I roll my eyes at her stupidity. I'm pretty sure that her 'prior engagements' probably consist of her screwing the football team.

"I know, right." Joe plays along. "It's horrendous." He then looks at me and shoots a pointed look. I know that he's about to put the plan into action.

"Joe, why do you keep looking over at the door?"

"Oh, no reason. Also, I was wondering if you knew anything about this." He reaches into his own bag and pulls out the folder that we'd obtained the previous night. Her face pales, just looking at it.

"What is that?" She asks, her voice shaking.

"Let's go," I hiss at Tay and Kevin, and we bust out of the tiny closet like undercover spies.  
"We know your secret, Alex Russo. And I'd suggest that you keep your mouth shut before things get too ugly."

**You like? I'm sorry that I kept you all waiting for so long, but summer's coming up pretty soon which means that I'll probably have nothing better to do in my free time except write. Review, please? I can honestly say that your reviews are pretty much what motivated me to finish this chapter and get it out for you all today. I was re-reading them, and I decided that I couldn't leave you guys waiting any longer. Tell me what you think; it'll most likely make the next chapter come out faster!**


End file.
